J&K: Can’t hold fresh counselling for Vaishno Devi College MBBS students, says entrance exam board

The Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations has said that it cannot hold fresh counselling for MBBS admissions and asked the government to admit students from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence to other institutions at its own level, The Indian Express reported.

On January 6, the National Medical Commission withdrew the permission for the institute to conduct an MBBS course for the academic year 2025-’26. While the commission cited infrastructural deficiencies and faculty shortages, the decision came against the backdrop of protests by Hindutva groups questioning why 44 of the 50 students were Muslims.

The decision left the 50 MBBS students who had been admitted to SMVDIME without a college.

The National Medical Commission, while withdrawing the nod for the MBBS course, had asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to accommodate these students in supernumerary seats in other colleges in the Union Territory. Supernumerary seats are additional seats in educational institutes beyond their normal intake.

However, the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations, or JKBOPEE, stated on January 21 that creating supernumerary seats does not fall within its purview, reported The Indian Express.

It urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to allocate fresh seats for students from SMVDIME “at its own level in consultation with National Medical Commission [NMC]...

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